That remember the war, Soviet artists

Before becoming famous, they had to master the front-line professionals - nurses, ordinary, gunner. Few people realize that the smile of the famous Soviet artists lurk shocks experienced by the war.

Elina Bystritskaya

Actress, singer, 90 years old

Bystritskaya was barely 13 years old when the war began. Her father was a military doctor, it is not surprising that Elena has decided to become a nurse. Until 1944 she moved together with the front-line hospital from place to place, to learn to put injections and dressings. After the war Bystritskaya awarded the Order of the II degree, and was awarded the title "Son of the regiment."

"All the boys want to the front, the girls - to rescue the wounded. Yes, no matter what to do, the main thing - to help beat the enemy. Therefore, a week after the war began, I went to the hospital, where his father served. At the headquarters of the hospital, I found the Commissioner's office, came to him and said: "I want to help the front." the hospital had to be evacuated soon. We were supposed to hook up to a small station GEST near Kharkov. I went, of course, with his father. And when our trucks drove out of town, we were stupefied: everywhere unharvested burned bread, it specifically set fire to the harvest has not got the Germans. It was impossible to watch without tears. So we got to the GEST, nearly hitting the Nazis, then moved to Uralsk and so on and on. The loss of life in front of you, the constant smell of blood, which I then long pursued, hunger ... "

Leonid Gaidai

Producer

1923-1993

Immediately after graduation Gaidai volunteered, but it did not take. Then he got theater in Irkutsk and in parallel became involved in drama school. Gaidai was looking forward to the call. When the commissar began to select recruits, standing in the front row. He was sent to the Kalinin Front in the scouts. During one operation Gaidai struck a mine and was taken to hospital. He underwent five operations, and wanted to amputate his leg, but he flatly refused. Wound tormented him all his life, but he never talked about his disability, even friends. "He was a scout, dragged himself to the Germans, - says Leonid Gaidai widow Nina Grebeshkova. - He says, "I'm going, it's hard not possible! Once I shifted to the other (there were five), I go to the last. Everything is already gone, and I'm going, barely drag my feet. And look: the wire of some sort. I have this wire - once "Mina!. A mine exploded. And he has until his death was a fistula, from which the fragments. I say: "Laziness, well went to Elizarov." He says: "Do not worry, I'm dead on my feet."

Yuri Lyubimov

Actor, director

1917-2014

In 1940, Yuri Lyubimov was drafted into the army. He participated in the Russian-Finnish War, toured with the band for good. artists often covered soldiers, retreating latest. On account of Lyubimov's performances in the siege of Leningrad and Stalingrad. For his bravery he was awarded the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad", "For the Defense of Moscow", "For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."

"The war I met at the border. We were with a band sent to serve abroad, we arrived with his staff and with the same final composition, already under bombardment of the Germans, we were coming back. "

Anatoly Papanov

Actor

1922-1987

At the front Papanov commanded an antiaircraft battery. By 1942, he was promoted to sergeant and was transferred to the South-Western Front. During one of the battles with him a shell burst, Papanova damaged foot. Everyone who was at that time around, were killed.

"How can we forget about the two-hour battle that killed twenty-nine of the forty-two? .. We dreamed of making plans, debated, but most of his comrades were killed before my eyes ... I still clearly see how down my friend Alex. He wanted to be a cameraman, studied at VGIK, but he did not ... of the survivors have formed a new regiment - and again in the same place, and again the battle ... I've seen people completely changed after the battle. I saw the keeper turned gray overnight. Previously thought it was a literary device, it turned out - the reception of war ... It is said that a person can get used to everything. I'm not sure. To get used to a daily loss I was never able to. And while all this does not mitigate the memory ... "

Alexei Smirnov

Actor

1920-1979

Smirnova's acting career was interrupted almost immediately after its debut. In 1940, he was taken to the army, and then immediately to the front. During the war he was promoted from private to lieutenant, was commander of the 169th Mortar Regiment, and not just involved in the fighting. War Artist did not like to remember, and almost nothing is said about the service. But behind him saying the medals. For services to the Motherland Alexei Smirnov was awarded 11 awards, including the Order of the Red Star and the medal "For Courage" and "For Service in Battle".

Yuri Nikulin

Artist

1921-1997

Nikulin almost seven years spent at the front. He was the Soviet-Finnish war, and already preparing for demobilization, when World War II began. In 1943, Nikulin was pneumonia, but was soon discharged and returned to the front. On War Yuri Nikulin wrote: "I can not say that I am a brave people. No, I get scared. The thing is how the fear is manifested. With some tantrums occurred: they were crying, screaming, running away. Other transferred outwardly calm. But first slain man can not be forgotten of me. We were sitting on the firing position and eat from the pot. Suddenly, next to our instrument shell exploded, shrapnel and charges decapitated. A man sits with a spoon in his hand, the steam flows out of the pot, while the upper part of the head is cut off as a razor, a clean sweep. "

Vladimir Etush

The actor, 95 years old

When the war started, Etush just started an acting career. He recalled how in 1941, at one of the performances was only 13 spectators. Having played in the military performance, Etush realized that I should not be on stage, and at the front. On the same day he enlisted. He fought in the mountains of Kabarda and Ossetia, took part in the liberation of Rostov-on-Don, Ukraine. "In war, time is compressed, sometimes it seems that one day you've lived your whole life. Therefore, there are things that have faded from memory, but there is something I can never forget. Battles were many, and to me, lieutenant, come and escape with a rifle and machine-gun crew to command and lie down on the defensive in the chain of soldiers. Once in a chain, my neighbor, one of the soldiers of our regiment, was wounded in the lung, it started pneumothorax, he gasped. It was necessary to raise it to ease the suffering. I tried to do it, and suddenly his head fell on my chest. Another bullet intended me, got into it ... How can I forget it? "

Michael Pugovkin

Actor

1923-2008

On War Michael Pugovkin rarely spoke: "This hell is not worth remembering." He served as a scout in the infantry regiment. In August 1942, he was wounded in the leg near Voroshilovgrad. Doctors prepared to amputation actor, but in time to tell them the phrase "Doctor, I can not be without a leg, I Artist!" Stopped physicians.

Innocent Smoktunovski

Actor

1925-1994

Despite the fact that during the Great Patriotic War was Smoktunovski in the inferno, he did not receive any injuries. In 1943 he was captured. A month later, she was able to escape. Until his death, the actor recalled a soldier who told him to sit under the bridge and helped cover up the traces.

Smoktunovski whole day spent in the snow, then a month hiding in the woods from the Germans. "Guardian Angel I have definitely got," - said Innocent Smoktunovski. - terrible moments before the signal for the attack, but the worst thing - is captured, the feeling that your life is not yours. Any fascist could come up, put a gun to the back - and all ... "

Zinovy ​​Gerdt

Actor

1916-1996

Gerdt fought in the number of volunteers, until he was wounded in the leg near Belgorod. Endured 10 failed operations. Doctors have wanted to amputate his leg, but decided to try one last time - and everything went well. Since one leg Zinovy ​​Yefimovich was 8 centimeters shorter than the other. "I was a sapper commander, was promoted to Engineer Regiment with the rank of Lieutenant Guard, he was awarded orders and medals. But in the initiative is not involved, and even when the front came theatrical team, did not tell anyone that I'm an actor. I remember when I was literally dying in Belgorod of blood poisoning, the hospital came to my boss. Who says we have the actors of the Vakhtangov Theater act, like, I invite them to you? And they came to me and Sasha Lala Pashkov Grave, whom I knew well in Moscow. And they have not learned: this time I was ... I was somehow scared like potatoes in their skins. They got hold of a pot. And I only have a strength enough to eat polkartoshki "- recalled Zinovy ​​Gerdt.